The Royal Chef At Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining

THAI CHICKEN & RED CURRY FLATBREAD

OK, THIS ONE REALLY IS A CULTURAL MASHUP, BUT IT TASTES SO GOOD! Take a classic flatbread dough, top it with Thai curry chicken, some veggies, chopped peanuts and cilantro and finish with generous layer of shredded mozzarella. Each bite is spicy, sweet, crunchy and gooey. Should I even bother to mention how good it is with beer? You probably already guessed that. MAKES 4 PORTIONS

THE MARINADE 2 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, about 1 lb 2 tablespoons red curry paste ¼ cup fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, crushed 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt

THE FLATBREAD 1 package active yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1 3 cup bread flour 1 teaspoon salt ¾ to 1 cup water 1 teaspoon olive oil

THE TOPPING ½ cup green onions finely sliced ½ cup grated carrots 1 red bell pepper, diced ½ cup salted peanuts 1 cup bean sprouts 1 cup fresh rough chopped cilantro 1 whole large mozzarella, thinly sliced

1 In a large bowl add the curry paste, lime juice, ginger, garlic and vegetable oil. Mix well. Add the chicken, salt and coat well with the paste. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 2 In a large mixing bowl or in an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, flour and salt. Slowly mix in the water and oil until the dough begins to form a ball. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Place in a warm area to double in size. This will take about 1 hour. 3 Once the dough has doubled, knock the dough back and cut into half. Freeze half of the dough for another time and with the remaining dough break into 4 pieces and roll out to make 8 -10 inch

flat bread rectangles. Either in an ungreased hot skillet or on the grill, cook the dough for about 2 minutes each side, until just slightly done. Set aside each grilled flatbread on a rack to cool. 4 Heat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the chicken from the marinade, season it with salt and pepper and bake the chicken about 10-15 minutes depending upon the thickness of the breast. Let the chicken cool slightly and then cut it into bite size pieces and divide between the four flat breads. Top each with the green onions, carrots, bell pepper, peanuts, bean sprouts and cilantro finishing with the mozzarella. Transfer the flatbreads to a baking sheet and bake for about 6-8 minutes until the cheese melts and the toppings are warmed through.

97 SUMMER · GARDEN PIZZA PARTY